Megargel golf courses once dotted Pocono landscape

Tuesday

Nov 20, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Located along Route 611 near Bartonsville was Megargel's Miniature Golf Course and Driving Range. The site was converted into a truck stop. It's now a shopping center. Could you tell us some history about the place?

Located along Route 611 near Bartonsville was Megargel's Miniature Golf Course and Driving Range. The site was converted into a truck stop. It's now a shopping center. Could you tell us some history about the place?

P.A., Stroudsburg

Although the history of that particular golf course eluded research, the Megargel name definitely has a place in golfing history.

Old-time golfers may recall Ganeaden Country Club in Kresgeville, which opened in the late 1920s, the brainchild of two Philadelphia businessmen.

During the Depression, the course lost money and was sold. However, no owner held onto it for long — until real estate developer Vance Megargel bought it in 1958. He renamed it Indian Mountain, and the course remained in operation under Megargel ownership until 2000, according to a 2007 Pocono Record article.

Megargel's links business, Megargel's Golf Inc., a family-owned company, grew to operate golf courses in Florida as well as the Poconos.

As a golf course owner, Megargel was well known for his pitch and putt courses throughout Monroe County. He is credited for the first known par 3 golf course (1934) in the United States. These small courses became a familiar sight throughout most of the country, according a 1966 article in The Pocono Record.

At one time, Megargel owned 13 small golf courses, according to the 2007 article. In 1948, greens fee to play nine holes of golf at a Megargel's course in the Poconos was only 35 cents. An excellent deal, especially since the use of the course's golf equipment was free.

Eventually, some of the fairways were converted into driving ranges and miniature golf courses.

For information on the Megargel family, search poconorecord.com. Use "Megargel golf" as a search subject.

My aunt asked me about living wills, but I'm not sure how to find the information. Please tell me: What is a living will, and how do I help my aunt write one?

P.M., Pike County

A living will is a written document that specifies a patient's wishes regarding care and treatment if he/she becomes incapacitated.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Aging website, "There is no single correct way to write a living will or declaration." Your aunt may, if she wishes, write her instructions out on a piece of paper. To make it a valid living will, she needs to sign it and give a copy to her doctor.

If your aunt is uncomfortable with simply writing down her wishes, there are a number of websites that offer living will forms along with instructions. Or a lawyer can be hired.

But before you and your aunt begin, we suggest reading the brochure "Understanding Advance Directives for Health Care," which is published by the Department of Aging and includes a living will form.

For a free copy of the brochure, write to the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, 555 Walnut St., Fifth Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101-1919; phone 717-783-8975. The brochure is also available for viewing and printing free of charge at www.aging.state.pa.us.

For an online service, enter the subject "Pennsylvania living wills" into any search engine. If neither you nor your aunt have Internet access, the staff at the local library should be able to help in finding sites that offer living will forms.

For previous questions and answers, see poconorecord.com/consumer. Published questions are limited by space available.